When Three Collide
by crittle247
Summary: On a foggy night after a huge street festival, Tony is attacked. "His eyes felt the salty sting of perspiration that fell from his face mixed with tears. There was nobody to hear him scream; even if he could draw a breath."
1. Chapter 1

[Opening Phoomph]

_His eyes felt the salty sting of perspiration that fell from his face mixed with tears. There was nobody to hear him scream; even if he could draw breath. There was no one around to help him; for they were all asleep._

[Phoomph-One]

It was the first day in December and on that day, no matter when it fell during the week; the city of D.C. Washington held their Holiday Street Festival. It was one of the biggest events of the year. Six blocks were closed off near Capitol Hill leading up to Stanton Square. From five to ten those six blocks would be filled with booths of venders trying to sell their product, whether it was corporations or handmade crafts. The block closest to Stanton Square was dedicated to food and drinks only, while the farthest two blocks held a mini carnival. During those five hours, Stanton Square hosted an amateur band contest where each band would play a couple of songs and the winner, by the most cheers, would get to play at the New Year Eve Bash live on TV. But when ten o'clock strikes, the venders would pack up their stuff and the streets become empty as everyone would cram themselves into the square for a concert lasting usually till midnight. It seemed like half of the city would cram into the booth filled streets for a night of fun entertainment. This year the Holiday Festival landed on a Thursday. The weather called for a cold night in the high thirties with fog in the late evening. Yet non of those two factors affected the huge outcome of people.

Yet in a house fifteen minutes Northeast from Stanton Square, the gut of one Leroy Jethro Gibbs turned with an uncertainty. The quite dark streets of his neighborhood were already filling up with the reported fog. The only light that he could see was from street lamps and not from home windows. He had no doubt that the rest of the city was like this, abandoned streets, making him hate night like this one. With an eerie silence that seemed to fill over the neighborhood reaching farther than the fog, it made it an open invitation for trouble. His hand lightly clasped around a pale blue mug with steaming fresh black coffee while the rest of him was set in stone. He said a silent prayer that nothing would happen on this potentially dangerous night. But unfortunately the prayer did nothing to settle his gut.

Gibbs took a deep breath and held it for a moment as he cursed his sixth sense, as Abby once called it. He really wanted to do nothing more than enjoy a nice cup of coffee before calling it a night and catching up on precious sleep. But instead, a huff escaped from his lips as he turned around and headed down the wooden staircase to his basement. There was no way those two things would happen tonight.

[Phoomph]

The night of the Holiday Festival was hated by all police officers in the D.C. central area. Nothing ever good came from thousands of citizens crammed in a few street blocks for one to many hours. To some it felt like a riot but with out the pepper spray and SWAT teams. The massive crowd was mostly oblivious to the criminal actions happing all around them. The biggest crime that never stopped because of this was the pick pocketing. Then the sales of drugs behind covered booths. But the thing that did get seen were the drunks causing commotion and occasional fist fights with other plastered people. Yet those drunken actions were almost like part of the entertainment for the crowds. There were a few reports filled on some kidnapping and rape at past events; however those were few and far in between. It seemed to be more of a night for crime than festivities for the police officers, and each one held a prayer for a relatively safe night.

Smacked right in the center of the festival, a twenty nine year old police officer stood watching the crowds of people walking past him, whishing he could be in his nice quite home. But instead of a warm bed, Officer Brad Erickson was in the cold night stuck with a mean old fart of a partner, who shared the same feelings about the night. Brad was not looking forward on patrolling the crowded streets for seven plus hours with a man who wouldn't even talk with him. But his hatred for this night was more towards bruised surrounded by massive amount of people, being on a constant state of high alert for something to happen. He wished that he was one of the lucky uniforms sitting in a nice warm squad car driving around the quite empty streets, for that is what he did on normal nights, but the higher ups got that job- those bastards. As Brad and his partner started walking down the streets Brad kept his hand close to his gun and his radio turned up loud. Something in his gut told him this was not going to be a peaceful night.

[Phoomph]

A black mustang maneuvered though the traffic streets trying to find a place to park close to the Holiday Festival. Even with the windows rolled up a ray of sounds could be heard the closer it got to the festival. The loud base of the amateur concerts shook windows of business close to Stanton Square. The scream, laughter and gears of carnival rides bounced off sides of buildings like a ping-pong ball, while the chatter of hundreds of people was a soft under tone to the melody.

Tony DiNozzo was more than happy that the team was not working a case because tonight was D.C.'s biggest street festival and he had been looking forward for this for weeks. He kept on mentioning it to McGee and Ziva telling them they should go, he knew it got on their nerves about the second day earlier in the week. So he wasn't that all surprised when he invited them tonight they turned him down with other so called plans. When Gibbs gave them the okay to leave for the day, Tony jumped in his car and headed straight to the festival. A part of him wanted to swing home to change out of his suit, but the event had already started and he knew that finding a place to park would be a pain in the ass the longer he waited. So he went straight there and much to his amazement, he found a place just two blocks west from Stanton Square. Tony ditched his tie in the car and undid the first few buttons of his shirt. He thought for a moment about leaving his gun in his car, but the thought of some one breaking into it and the hell Gibbs would give him if his NCIS issued weapon was stolen made him keep it on him. Double checking that his sig was tightly in its hostler, he buttoned up his back jacket and headed to the party. He glanced down at his watch; he had two hours before meeting up with Abby at the concert stage to support her friend's band. The closer he got to the festival, the bigger Tony's smile got, he didn't have to pray; he knew this was going to be one hell of a fun night.


	2. Chapter 2

[Phoomph-Two]

It was just a little past seven and for once the basement was filled with the sound of the television. ZNN News was on having the most coverage on the Holiday Street Festival with stories on its history and all the different events and music. But that wasn't why Gibbs had it on, he knew its history and he didn't give a damn on all the things you could blow your money on. It was to know if there was any event that wasn't on the agenda. However there was nothing to be said of any crime and that worried the NCIS agent; there was always something. He wanted to do something more than just tinker on his boat, something to settle his gut feeling. But if there was anything to happen it would be a police matter, not for a Federal Agent, especially a Navy Investigator.

He was attaching another plank on the side of his boat, when he heard loud music coming from the TV. He looked up and saw a band that was playing something Abby would have blasting in her lab. He was in the process of turning his attention back to his boat, when he spotted said forensic scientist standing right next to the stage. Gibbs leaned back agent his work bench and reached for his mug, his blue eyes never leaving the small screen. As he took a sip of his cold coffee, Gibbs remembered Abby mentioning to DiNozzo earlier that day that she was going to be there. But for some reason seeing her on the television at the festival made him that more unsettled about the night.

[Phoomph]

A deep sigh escaped from Officer Brad, it to his surprise had been a fairly quite night; with crime that is. The only thing he had done so far was break up one small fight. His oh so cheery partner had said less then three sentences to him in the last two hours. They were in the square, walking around the crowds making there fifth loop around the festival. The current band playing made Brad's head hurt with their loud, noise. That was definitely a type of music that only applied to a small number of people he was sure of. As they walked past the stage, Brad saw a woman with black pig tails dressed in clothes that looked like they came straight out of Hot Topic, he just shook his head as they continued to walk by. Brad wondered how things were going outside of the festival, but since the radio was quite on that part, he knew nothing huge had happen yet. There was three more hours left, one hundred and eighty minutes for something to go wrong. And he had no doubt in his mind, something more than a little fight was going to happen.

[Phoomph]

Saying that Tony was having a blast was an understatement. Right when he got into the massive crowds, he was already having fun. To make his lonely night funnier, he got a new beer every time he made another loop of the festival. By his third beer he hooked up with a woman, also came by herself to enjoy watching people and to have a good time. She was a few years younger than him, funny and really hot, her name was Danica and she worked at a bank. That was all he knew about her and she just knew his name and the he worked with NCIS. After his sixth beer and her third, Tony informed her that he had to meet a friend in an hour. She didn't mind at all and after he told her a little bit about Abby, Danica was looking forward to meet his friend.

By the time the two of them got to Stanton Square the band Abby came to support was already on stage. They pushed though the crowd to get close to the stage and spotted Abby right in front cheering. Tony shouted her name really loud and at first he thought she didn't hear him. But as they kept moving forward, Tony was suddenly catching Abby as she threw herself at him with a hug. He stumbled back a few steps at the impact, bumping into a few people behind him.

"Yeah, you made it!" Abby shouted with a huge smile as she tightened her hold around his neck.

"Of course I made it." Tony managed to say with his co-worker hanging from his neck. When she finally let him go. He saw a jumbo can of Red Bull clasped into her hand. "What number is that?" He asked loudly pointing to the blue and sliver can.

"Uh," Abby looked at the can sheepishly trying to count in her active running mind. "number nine."

"Jees Abs, I'm only on my sixth beer." The band finished their second song and Tony took the short break of silence to introduce Abby to his new date. "Abs this is Danica, Danica this is Abby."

"Nice to meet you." Abby happily and energetically shook hands with Danica.

"Same to you." Danica spoke up loud to be heard over the new song the band was playing.

"So Tony," Abby turned her attention back to DiNozzo "do you like the band?"

Tony made a skeptical face before giving her one of his huge drunken smiles. "It's definitely your kind of music."

Before Abby could respond, she felt her phone vibrate and pulled it from her shin high boot. She checked the caller ID to see the name of her boss. "Hey Gibbs!" She shouted into the phone over the loud music. "Yeah I'm fine, Tony just came by. What?" She pressed the phone closer to her ear and plugged up her other one with her finger. "Really? Thanks Gibbs, yeah I'll let him know too! I will Gibbs!" Abby put her phone back into her boot, then looked up at Tony her smile never fading.

"What did the boss what? Did he give us tomorrow off?" He tried to guess by her smile.

"No, he was just making sure I was okay and said I can use his guest room tonight so I don't have to drive all the way back to my apartment. He said you can take his couch that way he can make sure, and I quote 'That his ass will be at work on time.'" She gave her best Gibbs impersonation.

"How sweet, he dose care." Tony said sarcastically.

Abby looked over at Danica even though she seemed very nice, Abby could tell that she was feeling a bit awkward. "I don't want to take up anymore of your night."

"Oh don't mind me." Danica said her face clearly showed that she felt bad.

"Its fine, they're almost finished." Abby gestured to the band. "I need to go and support them anyways. I'll see you tomorrow Tony." Abby gave a quick hug to the agent before giving Danica one too. "Nice to meet you again."

With a wave Abby disappeared back into the crowd. Tony looked at Danica and laughed at the slightly confused look on her face. "She's a hugger." He took her hand and started to lead her back to the streets. "Come on, let's get something to eat, I'm starving." They got some food and a new bottle of beer before starting another round of looking at the many booths talking, laughing and enjoying the night together.


	3. Chapter 3

[Phoomph-Three]

Throughout the night Gibbs would stop working on his boat, look at his sawdust covered clock then to the equally dusty TV, before finally his eyes would land on his cell phone. He had called Abby right after he saw her on the television, but that was two hours ago. Now he stared at it debating if he should call her again and maybe call Tony, hell the rest of his team for that matter, just to see if that would calm his nerves. But they were trained federal agents and one forensic scientist that could kick ass. So then his blue eyes would move over to the bottle of bourbon hidden among the jars of nails and other tools on his shelf, think about taking a couple of drinks from it. Though each time he would shake his head to get rid of the desire for alcohol; he needed to stay alert for whatever might happen. That's when he would go back to building his boat. Gibbs went over to one corner of the wooden frame where it was a few feet of solid wood. He picked up a sanding block and started to slowly file away the small bumps. He knew that he sanded the boat way to much, but he didn't mind. He loved the sound of quiet scrapping, to him it was more soothing and realizing then waves rolling in and the fine sawdust that coated the air was better than any aroma therapy in the world.

It was around one thirty when Gibbs finally went up for fresh air, but more so for his fifth cup of fresh hot coffee. He was in the kitchen picking at some grapes in his fridge, when he heard his front door open. His agent and marine training side kicked in preparing to attack any potential threat. But as soon as he heard chains clanking together and platform boots clonking and shuffling about the polished wooden floor, he relaxed for the first time that night. Gibbs grabbed his cup of coffee from the counter and walked into the living room; he saw Abby trying to move across the semi dark room in a quite matter but failed to do so.

"Abby." At the sound of his soft voice the guest jumped back a step or two, her head spinning trying to locate the source of the voice as her black pig tales flopped in her face.

She let out a deep sigh when she finally spotted Gibbs standing in the kitchen door way. "Gibbs don't do that to a girl whose been partying all night."

The former marine just grinned as he walked over to Abby near the staircase. "I saw you and your friend's band on TV." He casually stated.

"You did! That is awesome!" She exclaimed a little too loudly and quickly noticed it when her boss gave a questioning look. "Sorry Gibbs, I had one to many Red Bulls." His smile came back as that answered his question. "And thanks for letting me use your guest room. If I drove anymore further I know I would have crashed. No, what I mean is crash as in sleep not crash-crash. But of course if I, you know, sleep-crash, I would most likely crash-crash. Then you'll get mad and be all 'Why did you drive home?'" Her face wrinkled trying to match one of Gibbs' glares as her voice lowered to sound like him. "'I offered my guest room to you so this wouldn't have happen.' And I thank you Gibbs for that because I wouldn't want that to happen--"

"Abby." Gibbs said finally stopping her rambling as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"What?"

"You're welcome; now go to bed before you fall over."

"Yes sir." Abby gave a half salute as she started up the stairs, holding tightly on the rail for support. Half way up she carefully turned around. "Oh Tony might take up that offer of crashing on your couch. But he had a new hot date with him, so I doubt it really because we all know how he is and she was really pretty and into him. So he mostly likely is using her couch if you know what I mean. I mean Tony isn't really that kind of guy as he is made out to be, but I'm sure you know what I'm--"

"Good-night Abby."

"Right, night Gibbs." Gibbs watched Abby as she finished walking up the stairs and disappeared down the hallway. He felt better now she was safe and sound, but there was four more hours left till the sun would start to rise and his boat was calling his name.

[Phoomph]

Officer Brad had never been so happy when one o'clock came, letting him go home. The festival went smooth compared to last year, but slow nights, no matter now boring they were, it was a cop's delight. After a quick stop at the station to drop off his one time partner and to get his car, he drove home which was a mile and a half away from Stanton Square. By the time he got home and changed into his running clothes it was close to two in the morning. But as late as it was, he needed the empty openness of a run after being stuck in a crowd of partying people and it was almost a routine after his night shifts. So checking that his house key and ID was in his pocket Brad set off down the empty streets of D.C. The darken night from the thick fog caused the street lamps to have a hard time shining down on the street and the only sound that was heard was his deep breathing and feet pounding on the hard sidewalk.

Brad was half way near Stanton Square when he suddenly heard what sounded like keys hitting each other with each stride. He looked down expecting to see his keys on his belt loop, but sweat pants did not have belts and his single house key was in his pocket. He turned his head to glance behind him and saw some keys dangling from a belt of another runner. He thought it was very strange that someone else would be running at this time of night. Brad listened closely to the sound of the other pair of shoes as they hit the pavement, the other runner slowly but at the same time at an alarming rate, closed in the distance between them until they were practically side by side. Brad kept glancing at the other man taking a good look in his appearance. The man had wild red coarse hair that was a little to long for most normal men, and the clothes he had on were something for a hot summer day not a cold foggy night. He wore dark Bermuda shorts and an even darker short sleeve shirt. Brad never slowed or sped up his pace; neither did the man but what really set off the alarms in his head was how the man did not even cast a glance in his direction.

Just when Brad thought this man might try something, the silence was cut though by loud roar of a Harley Davidson. In a few short seconds two motorcycles blasted their way out of the dark fog and headed to his direction. Strange as it was to him, Brad was happy to see more people. As the bickers came closer, the man sped up his jog passing Brad and turned down the next street, disappearing into the night. But as the blaring sounds of the Harleys faded away, leaving the officer alone again, something in his gut turned and Brad turned around as he sped his jog into a run. Eager to get home and out of the fog filled streets.

[Phoomph]

One o'clock came quickly than anyone would have liked. So when the band played their last song everyone headed home. Tony helped walk Danica to her car that was four blocks away from the square. She protested and didn't want him to walk in the opposite direction of his own car, but he was a gentleman and there was no way that he would let her walk even one block by herself, day or night. As they reached her car they pulled each other close and shared a good bye kiss.

"You sure you don't want to come over?" Danica asked Tony who just shook his head. "Are you even able to drive home?"

Tony had two more beers during the rest of the night while Danica stopped after four. "I'll be fine; I'll crash at my boss' house, it's just a few minutes from here."

"My place isn't far either and I have a nice big warm bed." Danica said with a seductive smile.

"As tempting as that sounds, I'll have to do a rain check. I have to be at work tomorrow and if I am a minute late or not on my game my boss will kill me."

"Well you have my number. So give me a call tomorrow and maybe we can do something this weekend."

"That sounds really good." He said with a smile as he lend in for another kiss. "And technically it is tomorrow."

"You know what I mean silly." She returned the kiss as she got into her car. "Well good-night."

"Good-night." Tony shut the car door when she was safely inside. He stood on the sidewalk and watched her drive away until she disappeared down the street.

Tony took a deep breath of the cold night air, as if it was waking up his senses; he had four blocks to walk back to the square and another two after that to his car. He started his walk thanking God that Gibbs opened his house for him because his energy level was fading quickly and there was no way he would make it all the way home. By the time he made it back to the center square he was the last person in the area. As he got to a lamp post he leaned up agents the pole, he realized that he shouldn't have had those few last drinks and maybe should have taken the offer of going home with Danica. He shook his head causing it to spin a bit.

"Oh bad idea." He said to himself as he placed a hand on his head before continuing on his line of thought. He had two more blocks to get to his car and then a short drive to Gibbs house and he could handle that.

Tony's mind drifted off as he looked at the empty town square. The dark streets draped in fog looked like something from an old mystery thriller movie set in old town London, like a Sherlock Holmes film. A smile crept on his face, which sounded pretty good. He wondered if he could find it on TV at a time like this, but he soon remembered Gibbs didn't have cable. As a gust of wind blew past Tony, he thought he heard a faint jingle of keys. A chill went down his back when he got the sudden feeling that his gut was warning him of impending danger, it was that or his stomach wanted to hurl all the alcohol and cheep festival food in him. He looked around him and saw nothing that would be a cause of alarm and besides he had his gun, life was good.

Tony pushed himself off the lamp post with his foot, but as his back left the cold metal something constricted around his neck jerking him back. His hands instantly moved up to his neck to try and pull away the thing that was starving him of air. Just when he thought he almost got the cord off his neck, he was kicked behind his knee sending him to the ground and his attacker used the cord around his neck to pull him all the way down to the cold cement. Tony moved his hands higher, clawing at the strong arms that held the cord tightly around his neck. He could feel skin and the sticky substance of blood embed themselves under his nails. Tony looked as far as he could behind him only to see a pair of dark blue shorts. Tony struggled as much as he could but that only caused the cord to tighten and a knee jammed into his back forcing him to lie completely on his stomach. His eyes felt the salty sting of perspiration that fell from his face mixed with tears. There was nobody to hear him scream; even if he could draw breath. There was no one around to help him; for they were all asleep.

Then it was like he suddenly woke up and Tony remembered his gun that he had on his right side. Both hands forgot about the cord and tied to get his gun for its holster, but his attacker saw this and pulled even harder with the cord with one hand as the other went to get the gun. Tony tried desperately to point the gun in what he thought could be the area his attacker could be. But black spots danced mockingly in front of his vision and he felt very light headed, he knew he didn't have much time. They fought for the direction of the gun; however any direction was a danger to Tony. He knew that if he pulled the trigger the bullet would hit him, but if he didn't do something he would die. With the last bit of consciousness Tony squeezed the trigger just as his world went black.


	4. Chapter 4

[Phoomph-Four]

Gibbs bolted up suddenly letting out a curse when he hit his head on the spine of the boat. He carefully slid out from underneath the boat rubbing the spot on his head were it made contact with the wood. He didn't remember falling asleep, but he was fully alert now for some reason. He reached for his phone and saw that he did not miss any calls and that it was only two fifteen. Gibbs quietly walked up stairs then made it up to the second floor. He rubbed his eyes thinking that noting could have happened during those thirty so minutes that he was asleep. But still he found himself walking towards his guest room. He opened the door slightly, just enough to peek his head in the dark room and with the light from the hall he saw Abby sleeping peacefully. He closed the door and stood in the hall staring down at his phone double checking if he missed any calls, nothing, with a sigh he headed back down stairs. However Gibbs didn't make it past his living room couch as he started pacing the room like a caged lion, he still felt like something was going to happen but it was driving him crazy that he had no clue on what it was or when it was going to happen. Gibbs knew that working on his boat wouldn't help him anymore he needed to do something more. The thought of heading down to the office came up in his mind that way he would be surrounded by the tools to research on any possible threats. But there was no way he would leave Abby alone, she was more important than settling his nerves. So he filled another cup with coffee and moved to his living room window staring deep in the fog outside.

[Phoomph]

The details on the streets were getting familiar as Brad was almost home; he was subconsciously counting down the buildings and houses he had left till he reached his apartment complex. But what his mind was really focusing on was that man near the abandoned festival. He knew that most people don't go out for a run at two in the morning if they weren't planning to do something and everything about that runner set off alarms in his police trained head. Just when he was three blocks away from his apartment he heard a loud thunderous boom that tore though the empty streets. Brad stopped dead in his tracks, it sounded like gun fire. He took off running in the opposite direction of his place, it was almost like his legs were on auto pilot and he was just along for the run. It took him two blocks to realize that he was heading to Stanton Square back to where he last saw the other runner. His mind was running faster than his legs. He didn't remember seeing a bulged of a gun anywhere on the runner, but that didn't stop him from believing the gun fire and the runner were tied together. However it was just one shot, so it couldn't be that bad, but his gut told him other wise. When he finally made it to the edge of the square, his lungs were on fire and his legs were like jello, but the discomfort pain didn't even compute to his brain.

"Shit." A spotlight from a street lamp that was a few yards from the edge of the square was casting a perfect cylinder around a body; its pale yellow ray was outlined by the dense fog.

Brad was hesitant about stepping into the light; the body that was laying face down in the cement side walk did not have crazy red hair. So as he continued to move carefully towards the body, his eyes scanned the square looking for the runner. When he felt that who ever did this was long gone, he stepped into the light and as he feared the fog caused the light to be almost blinding. He could barely see anything outside the wall of light and fog. He knelt down near the body trying to get a look at the man's face as he pulled out his cell phone. As he could tell, it was a middle aged man with blood pooling around his left shoulder.

"Sir? Sir can you hear me?" he shouted but got no response. He quickly dialed the number of a police man's cell that he knew was paroling the streets near by. As the phone was ringing he held it next to his ear with his shoulder as he tried to find a wallet. He barely saw the body rise and fall with shallow breaths. He pulled out the wallet just as an officer picked up.

"This is Officer Steve--"

"Steve its Brad." He started not letting the person on the other line finish. "I have a man down at Stanton Square call the medics he's got a gunshot wound in the shoulder." He glanced at the driver's license just enough to get a name. "Anthony DiNozzo." Brad carefully rolled Anthony over and saw a dark green intstention cord hanging loosely around a bruised and bloody neck. "Shit."

"What is it?" Steve asked, the sound of dispatch was faintly heard from his car radio.

"He's been strangled." Brad carefully placed two fingers on his neck and felt a faint pulse. "Barely has a pulse, barely breathing."

"Medics ETA is three minutes, I'll be there in one."

Brad closed his phone giving all his attention to the man. He took off his sweater and placed it on the gun shot wound. The man stirred as pressure was applied which was a good sign.

"Anthony?" A broken mone replied so he tried again, hoping that talking would bring this man to consciousness. "Anthony, you're going to make it, you have my word." Just as he spoke flashing lights of blue and red filled the night, the sounds of sirens of a police car came speeding into the plaza's streets. Right when Brad heard the car door open he shouted, "Med kit!"

He heard the trunk pop open and then slammed as a pair of shoes stomped in his direction. The light around him darkened as a figure stood next to him, he looked up to see Steve crouching down and opening a med kit in the process. Both men quickly put on blue gloves, Steve grabbed some gaze pads and replaced Brad's sweater with them. Brad on the other hand pulled out a mask and started rescue breaths because the victim no longer appeared to be breathing. However with only two breaths, Anthony's eyes fluttered open as he was trying to gasp for more air.

"Anthony, who did this to you?" Brad immediately asked.

The man opened his mouth to reply but nothing came out, not that Brad could hear if he did speak, because the sounds of more sirens filled the distant air. It was like the man knew this too so he just mouthed the word 'no.'

"That's okay, the ambulance is almost here."

Anthony painfully struggled to get his cell phone out of his jacket pocket; he didn't even have to look at the screen as he speed dialed a number. He reached up with his other hand and grabbed Brad's shirt and tired to bring him closer. But all he did was stretch his shirt as his arm fell back down to the ground. However Brad understood what he was trying to do and leaned in closer.

"What is it?" the officer asked not sure what the wounded man wanted to say. Anthony didn't even stutter a single sound; he just pressed the call button and handed the phone to Brad right as the medics arrived at the scene. They moved over Anthony like hungry vultures, pushing Brad and Steve away. As they assisted Anthony's condition and prepared him for transfer, Brad waited for someone to answer the phone having no idea who it would be.

[Phoomph]

Gibbs was going mad, this feeling that he had in his gut seemed to get worse with each passing minute. He had no doubt anymore; something bad was going to happen, not like a robbery or anything minimal but something big. He was never good at waiting especially with something like this. All of a sudden the high pitched sound of his cell phone ringer went off. The unexpected sound caused Gibbs to jump. He cursed at himself as he rushed over to his phone that lay on the counter top on the other side of the room. He looked at the screen and saw the name DiNozzo. He felt a bit relived but at the same time hoped that it wasn't a call for help.

"What the hell is it DiNozzo?" He snapped covering up his worry and relief with his bastard facade "It's two in the morning."

A man's voice that was not his senior feild agent filled speaker. "Um sir this is not DiNozzo."

Gibbs instantly stood up straighter his face frozen with anger, he no longer needed to pretended to be pissed off, he was way passed that now. "Who the hell is this?" His voice was low but filled with demand and anger.

"Officer Brad Erickson of D.C police and can I ask who I'm speaking to?"

"You're the one who called me officer?"

"Actually I didn't sir. A man by the name of Anthony DiNozzo was the one who called you, and he handed me the phone right before the medics arrived."

Gibbs heart sipped a beat, hell it could have been three. An officer is calling on DiNozzo's phone, and medics are around him, '_What the hell did you get yourself into Tony?'_ The one thing Gibbs did know what that he had to put aside his emotions to get answers. "I'm DiNozzo's boss, Special Agent Gibbs."

"Special Agent?" The shocked tone of the officer's phone did not help Gibbs hold back his emotions.

"With Navy Criminal Investigative Services, now where is DiNozzo?"

"At the Stanton Square, but he's about to be taken to- Hey!" Gibbs heard the officer shout to someone "What hospital are you taking him to?" There was a pause before the officer continued to answer the NCSI agent. "Howard University Hospital."

"I'm sending my team, this is now--"

"I'm sorry I have to go, there are loading him in the ambulance." Gibbs cursed as the phone got disconnected. But he wasted no time; he dialed Ziva's number as he raced up the stairs. He got to the guest room just as Ziva picked up.

"David, get McGee and head over to Stanton Square now." Gibbs's demands caused Abby to wake up with a start.

"Gibbs?" Abby said confused as she rolled over, but when she looked at his face she was fully awake. "What is it?"

Gibbs didn't answer her, but continued to talk on the phone to Ziva who asked the very same question. "We have a case, local LEO are at the scene, move it!" He shut the phone and looked up and saw that Abby was fully dressed and standing right in front of him with a look that demanded more answers. Gibbs took a breath, "I don't know what happened so don't ask, but all I know is that Tony is being taken to Howard Universty Hospital."

[Phoomph]

Brad heard Special Agent Gibbs say something about sending a team, but all of his attention turned to Anthony when he saw the medics place him on stretcher and wheel him to the ambulance.

"I'm sorry I have to go, there are loading him in the ambulance." He told the man right before he shut the phone. He felt horrible for ending the call like that, but for some reason he felt that he must stay with this stranger, and seeing how his gut hadn't been wrong tonight he would obey.

"Hold the door!" Brad shouted to a police officer who was about to shut the ambulance rear doors. He quickly ran and hopped into the back of the vehicle. "Feds are coming to take over; this guy is a NCIS Special Agent." Brad said to the officer before the doors shut, and he heard the few bangs from the outside signaling to the ambulance to drive off.

Brad sat quietly and watched the professionals do their job. His mind was racing full speed, trying to make sense of this all. A federal agent strangled and shot and he couldn't help but think it was by that runner he saw a bit earlier in the night. So was it revenge, was it a message or was it just a random attack? The only thing that he knew for sure was that all hopes of catching this man flew out the window. It was a federal case now, one of their own attacked, and it was going to be a hunt to the death.

When they arrived at the hospital, Brad watched as the nurses and doctors wheeled Tony through the ER doors. He could have pulled his police card to try and follow the paraded, but he knew that there was nothing he could do behind those double doors that would help Anthony. Instead he moved to the nurse's station and addressed a young woman who sat behind the counter.

"Hello I'm Brad Erickson with DC Police. I came with a victim of an attack, an Anthony DiNozzo. I would like to know his condition when it's available."

"I will inform the doctor."

"Thank you." Brad glanced back at the locked double doors, before he headed off to find a cup of coffee.


	5. Chapter 5

[Phoomph-Five]

There were only a handful of people seated in the hospital's waiting room. There was a television on, showing late night reruns of M*A*S*H with the volume just loud enough for the few that were awake to hear. So when the inner doors slammed open and the stomping of feet and the jingle of chains filled the room, everyone jumped at the new sound. Brad looked up from his phone where he was playing Tetris and studied the two people. The young woman had a face full of panic and worry; her movements were quick and short. When he looked at her clothing he was taken aback, it was the same woman that he seen by the stage at the festival, because there was no way he would forget that outfit. His eyes darted over to the older man, he walked at full height with a face of determination, but he also saw underneath the down cast brow and above the locked jaw, blue eyes that were filled with more worry then the woman fidgeting next to him.

As the man arrived at the nurse's station, his arms spread out away from his body and his finger tips held them up from the counter. The nurse had to move back from the desk an inch or two so she could look at his face. "Anthony DiNozzo, what room is he in?" The man demanded.

The nurse hit a few strokes on her keyboard before saying, "He's in surgery right now." Her eyes darted to the young woman as she let out a gasp.

"What happened?" Before the nurse could answer the young woman, Brad stood up and went over to them.

"He was strangled and shot in the left shoulder." The two people turned around facing him both with looks that wanting answers. "I'm Officer Brad Erickson." He said holding out his hand to the older man, he saw those blue eyes looking him up and down as he shook hands.

"Agent Gibbs."

"Nice to meet you." He turned to the woman and they too shook hands.

"Abby Suito. Are D.C cops always dressed casual on the night shift?" Brad could tell that Miss Suito was trying to break the thick ice with a joke. But her voice was unsteady and nothing in her eyes showed humor.

"I'm not on duty."

"Then why are you here?" Gibbs snapped.

Brad looked back at the sliver haired agent, wondering how he should take the man's ruff demander. But given the he let it go. "I found Mr. DiNozzo at the plaza and felt that I had to stay with him--"

"You just happened to be around--"

"Agent Gibbs," Brad said with some annoyance. "I know you want answers but if you keep interrupting me I won't be able to tell you." Brad saw death look him in the eyes and guessed that not a lot of people told this man what to do. But he wasn't going to crumbed under the gaze. He could also tell that the NCIS agent wanted to say something else but remained quiet.

"I went for a run after I got off my shift of paroling the festival. I was a few blocks away from the square when I heard a gun shot." Brad watched as the agent pulled out a pad of paper and started to write down his statement. "I ran to the plaza and saw Mr. DiNozzo lying on the ground, with a gun shot wound to his left shoulder and a cord around his neck. He came to for a brief moment and that's when he handed me his cell phone with your numbered dialed."

Gibbs looked up and turned to Abby with out a word towards Brad and his story, "Abby call Ducky, have him come here--"

"I'm not leaving until I see him Gibbs." Tears were welling up in Abby eyes as she looked up at her boss.

"I'm not asking you to, just call him." Abby moved pass the two men, with one last look at her boss, before heading outside to make the call.

"Agent Gibbs, I know that this is not a Metro case or that you need the department's help. But I am willing to help you in anyway to catch this man."

"Why?"

"I honesty can't give you a reason better than I feel that I have to help. Just like I felt that I had to run to the plaza, like I had to ride in the ambulance and just like I had to stay here. I listen to my gut Agent Gibbs and it hasn't steered me wrong yet."

Gibbs just looked at the man in front of him trying to get a read on him. Then after a few moments Brad thought he saw a small smirk appeared briefly on the agents face, but he wasn't sure.

"I guess you can help, you did save my agent after all."

"Thank you Agent Gibbs." The two men walked over to the chairs that faced the locked doors that separated them from Tony.

"How long have you been waiting?" Gibbs asked quietly as they took a seat.

"About twenty minutes." They sat in silence which did not last long when Abby came back inside.

"Ducky is on his way. Have you heard anything yet? He's been there for a long time hasn't he? He'll be fine right Gibbs? Hey police guy," Abby turned her questioning to other man "was the gunshot wound a graze, a through and through or was the bullet still in him?" Abby spoke faster with each question. Brad was taken aback with her energy while Gibbs just let her go on, letting her get it all out. "And how long was Tony out in the cold? It's really cold out side, he could get sick and that would just complicated things?" She turned back to Gibbs "Why would someone do this to Tony? Do you think it has something to do with past cases he has closed? Because it seems to be always his past that comes back to attack him? What do you think? Why aren't you answering me Gibbs?"

The NCIS agent did not say a word; he just padded the white plastic chair next to him. Abby instantly fell into it, wrapping her arms around him calling on his comfort to make her feel better. Brad watched the interaction quietly, trying to get a take on the two. The way they acted he thought that they were father and daughter, but the last names didn't fit. However he wasn't ruling it out. It wasn't long until the hospital doors opened again, but this time it was slow and quite. An elderly man wearing glasses and a classic tan hat came walking up to them.

"Any word on Anthony?" A Scottish heritage filled the old man's voice.

"Nothing yet Duck." Gibbs answered the older man. "This is Officer Brad Erickson he found Tony." He said motioning to the man seated besides him.

"Doctor Donald Mallard, but please call me Ducky, we are in your debt for saving our friend's life." Ducky said as he shook hands with Brad.

"I am just glad that I was in the area. Now do you work with him or are you like his personal physician?" Brad struck up small talk, to get more information on the people around him.

"I would think it's safe to say that I am indeed both. I am the medical examiner for NCIS and I find myself also the medical liaison in situations like these. Now if you excuse me, I will try and see if I can get any word on Anthony." With nods from all three people, Ducky went to find the nearest nurse, leaving them in the quite waiting room.

[Phoomph]

Another episode of M*A*S*H came on the low volume television, even though there was barely any other ambient noise, he had to strain to hear the show. But he didn't need the volume to know what was going on, Brad remembered seeing it on from his series collection, it was the last episode of the third season, and one of his favorites. Agent Gibbs and Doctor Mallard was off in a corner near the doors talking softly, he took that back, Doctor Mallard was doing most of the talking. Abby was still seated in the same white chair; her right leg was bouncing up and down like a paddle ball. Brad could feel the vibrations through the connected chairs. Her eyes were locked on the ER doors waiting for answers to come though the doors. Brad turned his attention back to the TV when he noticed the commercials were over. The episode was at the point when Col. Blake, Hawkeye, Trapper and Radar were at the bar getting drunk for Blake's going home party. Blake was opening one of his presents when the double doors opened and a doctor came walking towards them. Abby was the first one to jump up from the chair and practically ran into the doctor.

"Are you here with Anthony DiNozzo?" The mid fifties Doctor asked. Brad had to hold back a scoff; it wasn't like there was a ton of people in the room and the couple of people that were didn't even look up when the doctor came, in so of course they were.

"We are, I'm Special Agent Gibbs. How is he?" Gibbs asked with a great edge to his voice as he and Doctor Mallard walked over to him. Brad was the last to get up and join the group, standing behind them.

"He's very lucky; the bullet barely missed his carotid artery though we won't know how severe his neck injuries are until he wakes up. There are ligature marks and starches across his neck, also he's blood alcohol was twice over the legal limit, which most likely did not help him in his situation. However the good news is that from the scans, there so no signs of any brain damage, and with lots of rest, he will be fine." The whole group let out a sigh of relief, for they all knew the damage of ligature strangulation. "We are going to keep him here for at lest seventy two hours to make sure there are no complications, but I am very confidante there won't be any."

"Can we see him?" Abby asked still holding tightly around Gibbs arm.

"He is still under the amnesiac, but if you don't wake him you can see him two at a time."

"Thank you doctor." Ducky said kindly as they followed the doctor through the ER doors and down a long hall towards Tony's room.

"Oh and I forgot," the doctor stopped just shy of the room, "we found blood and skin under Mr. DiNozzo's fingernails--"

"Give them to me." Abby suddenly demanded with her hand stretched out to the doctor.

The elderly doctor gave a look of uncertainly and confusion at her sudden change, "Um…"

"I'm the forensic scientist." She said with great frustration.

"I'll get that to you right away. He's in this room." The doctor pointed to opened door room as he walked away to get the evidence. Abby and Ducky went in the room first, leaving Gibbs and Brad waited quietly outside.

"I'm going to take Abby back to NCIS and check up on my team." Gibbs said a few moments after they were left alone by door.

"What do you want me to do?" Brad asked knowing there was going to be an order for him.

"You stay with DiNozzo until I get back."

"I'm not going anywhere." Gibbs face twitched a smirk but it was gone in a second. Ducky came waking out mentioning something about talking to the doctor and getting more details about Tony's condition.

Gibbs walked into Tony's room, no matter how small the injury was; he never liked seeing one of his own in a hospital bed. Tony's left shoulder was wrapped in a white bandage, he was hooked up to an EKG machine that let out a soft beat of his heart and an IV was attacked to his arm with a saline solution to help the pain killers flow though his body. And around his neck was a soft white foam neck brace covering most of the gruesome damage.

Abby was sitting on the right side of the bed, holding Tony's hand in one of hers, while the other one stroked his hair. "You'll be fine Tony, though you better not let this happen again."

"He knows Abby." Gibbs said letting her know that he was in the room.

"Who did this Gibbs?" Abby almost pleaded to her boss, but her eyes were still on Tony.

"I don't know, but we will find the bastard, we have his DNA."

Abby stood up from the bed and walked to the door where Gibbs stood. "Let's go then. The sooner we catch him, the sooner this can be over." With that she walked out to find the doctor and get the evidence.

However Gibbs did not move from his spot near the door, he just kept looking at his senior field agent wondering why things always seemed to happen to this young man. Sometimes it was a result of a stupid action of his, but most he was just the poor soul that just happened to be in the way. And there was no way he could protect his agent from it all.

"Why were you out at night by yourself? Federal agent or not that was dumb move. You were drunk and if you were planning on driving so help me…" Gibbs stopped; DiNozzo wasn't hearing any of this. However he was kind of glad that he was still asleep because Gibbs' voice was soft and was filled with too much emotion than he would have liked. "You should have called me, Tony." The young man on the bed started to move around, but stopped seconds after.

Abby then popped her head into the room. "Gibbs." The call of his name, snapped him out of his stare, he turned around leaving the room. He had a bastard to catch.


	6. Chapter 6

[Phoomph-Six]

Brad walked into the lightly dimmed room, just shortly after Agent Gibbs left with Abby. Doctor Mallard was still talking with the doctor with everything that concerned this man's recovery. This man, a federal agent, came close to death tonight. Brad did not want to even think about what would have happened if he didn't reach the plaza in time, or if he went to bed instead of a run. But he knew that Anthony would have died, and he thanked God that he wasn't. Brad, however, did not know why this case had such an emotional hold on him. He didn't even know anything about this man, NCIS or the team, yet something about all of them touched him. Maybe it was the difference between their relationship and his relationship with the other officers. If it was him in that bed and not Anthony, would his boss be here, would any other officer be by his bed side? Maybe two out of the whole department would be truly concerned, like Anthony's boss and the woman. Which made him sad; he thought a small police department would be closer than a federal agency, like the team in Lethal Weapon 2.

"Oh Anthony, we must figure out how to keep you out of danger." The Scottish accident startled Brad from his thoughts. He turned his head towards the door to see Doctor Mallard.

"So this happens a lot to him?" Brad tried to strike up conversation.

The medical examiner let out a smile as he moved over to the bed. "This is a new injury to add to his list, but most likely wont be the last time for him to end up in the hospital, sadly."

"That must be hard."

"Yes, especially we know that one day his luck will run out." Brad looked back at the injured agent, he didn't know what else would be on that list, nor was it his place to ask, but he could have guessed by the way the old man talked to him, this was not the worse thing that has happened to the federal agent.

Suddenly there was movement on the bed and slowly green eyes fluttered open. Doctor Mallard moved to the head of the bed. "Welcome back, you gave us quite a scare."

"What--" Anthony tried to speak but after one word, the green eyes disappeared underneath eyelids as his brow creased down. Pain spread across his face. He tired to gather enough saliva to swallow in hope to ease the fire in his throat but it seemed to cause him more pain. Doctor Mallard reached over and picked up a small blue plastic cup that had some water in it and handed it to the young man. A few sips of the water, Anthony tried again. His voice couldn't go higher than a whisper, it was horse and raspy.

"What happened?"

"You don't remember?" The Scotsmen asked but the wounded man just slightly moved his head side to side. "You were attacked as you were no doubt heading to your car. You were strangled and shot in your left shoulder. But the doctors insure me that with proper rest you will back to your old self." Tony's eyes moved across the room and landed on the strange man standing. Ducky followed the questioning eyes and smiled. "This is Officer Bradford Erickson; he is the young man that saved your life."

Tony tired to speak a sentence but all that came out was "Gibbs?"

"Jethro took Abby to her lab and to start the investigation. Don't worry he'll be back soon enough."

[Phoomph]

It was still dark when Gibbs and Abby got to the Navy Yard. The main floor was dark expect for the entire where the desks of the lead team were located. Ziva and McGee were all ready back and were busy tracking down any leads that they picked up at the crime scene.

"What do you have?" Gibbs demanded right when he stepped out of the elevator.

"There wasn't much there Gibbs." Ziva reported as she stood up from her desk. "There was a pool of blood under the lamp post and a trail of blood leading away from the crime scene. The police also found Tony's gun and a cord; both are down in Abby's lab waiting for her to find any finger prints and DNA."

"Doctors found blood and skin under DiNozzo's nails so we already have this dirt bag's DNA. McGee!"

"There is a web cam facing the plaza. The angle isn't great and the video is choppy and grainy. I've been trying to clean it up--"

"Put it on the plasma." McGee hit a few keys and shortly a dark video feed came up. Gibbs and Ziva moved closer to the screen, with the thick fog and the dark night it was hard to make out any real detail. The camera was pointing down and to their backs so they could not see their faces.

"It looks like the guy just appeared and took Tony by surprised. Then Tony went for his gun, so did the guy and seemed that Tony shoot him in the leg."

"DiNozzo had a through and through in his left shoulder." Gibbs stated.

"How is Tony?" Ziva brought up. Neither McGee nor herself had any idea what condition their fellow teammate was in.

"He'll be fine. McGee clean this up and go father back to the festival. He met Abby at the stage halfway through the night. See if you can spot any one who looks like this guy." Gibbs pointed at the figure hovering over Tony on the screen. "Ziva I want you to do a background check on a Brad Erickson."

"Who is he?" She asked as she moved back to her desk.

"Call me when you find anything." Was Gibbs' answer to them as he moved towards the rear elevator.

"Do you think if we went tonight to the festival that this wouldn't have happened to Tony?" McGee looked across the squad room to Ziva.

"I can not say that it would not have happened. But if it wasn't Tony, it would have been some other unlucky person."

As the elevator doors open, Gibbs was greeted by loud base pounding music. He walked through the door and saw Abby jumping from computer to computer and couldn't help but smile.

"I'm still waiting for the DNA results, Gibbs." Gibbs was a bit shocked that she knew that anybody was in her lab. Her head didn't even move to his direction and there was no way she could hear the elevator or his footsteps with the loud music.

"Did you pull any finger prints off of Tony's gun?"

"I did and it's running." She turned around and faced her boss. "Tony's blood and skin were in the sample the doctors found under his nails mixed in with the mystery DNA."

"Okay, anything on the cord?"

"It's a typical six foot intention cord that you can buy anywhere they are sold. By the way the ends are curled I would say that the guy wrapped it around his hands a couple of times so he could get a stronger grip on it. There were cords like this all around the festival so he could have stole one during it or found one that was missed by the clean up crew."

"If he took it during the festival that's premeditated."

"Either way, I have his finger print, DNA and McGee has video of him so there is no way he's getting away."

"Only if he's not in the system." Gibbs pointed out as he walked out of Abby's lab.


	7. Chapter 7

[Phoomph-Seven]

Gibbs found himself standing in front of another window and sipping coffee. He did not know why he was looking out the double paned glass, it wasn't like he could see the warm colors of the morning sky as the light chased away the night. Or watch sailors and civilians and other Navy personal drive on base to start their day. And he couldn't watch the ships in port raise the morning colors. Three things that he loved to watch out the panoramic windows was hidden behind a wall of fog. The only thing that told Gibbs that it was morning besides his watch and the office filling up with people was that the dark foggy night had turned into a white out. There wasn't much he could do until Abby finds a match to the only two leads that they had. Meaning he had to wait and he had begun to hate waiting as much as he hated spooks.

McGee and Ziva had gone to the cafeteria to get some breakfast as they waited for Abby's call. He glanced down at his watch, it was a little past five thirty, he had been up for at lest twenty four hours and half of that was worrying that something would happen. Getting fed up with waiting by a window; Gibbs headed towards the elevator and proceed to leave the base.

[Phoomph]

Nurses and doctors kept entering and leaving the room though out the early morning. Doctor Mallard had left forty five minutes after Agent Gibbs, mentioning something about his mother; leaving him alone, so to speak. Now Brad was trying to find something to do to stay awake. Tetris and everything else on his phone held no interest to him anymore. He turned his head to the window behind him to see the morning sky was still draped in fog. Suddenly his nose twitched as the aroma of fresh, real coffee filled the room. Brad looked back to the door and saw Agent Gibbs standing there with two cups of coffee. The Special Agent walked towards him and handed Brad one of the paper cups.

"Thanks." Brad said as he took a nice long sip from the black substance, he instantly felt more awake, from real coffee.

"How is he?" Gibbs asked quietly as he looked at his sleeping senior field agent.

"Doing fine, he's been sleeping most of the time. Have you found out who did this yet?"

"Still waiting for the DNA and finger prints."

"Oh." Silence fell between the two, Brad could tell that Gibbs wasn't much a talker and he himself was too tired to come up with any small talk that was appropriate in this situation. The quite room was broken when Brad let out a big yawn that he tried to cover up.

Gibbs looked at the man for a moment before speaking. "Go home, get some rest."

"As much as that sounds good, I can't."

"Why, your gut telling you to stay?" Gibbs couldn't help but say, and Brad though he heard a bit of humor in the man's voice.

"No," he said with a tired smile. "I road in the ambulance, so I have no vehicle to get home and I don't have my wallet on me to get a taxi."

"I'll drive you."

"That will work." Brad slowly stood up from the chair; his body ached from the hours of sitting in a cheep hospital chair. "Let me just quickly use the restroom before we go." He moved past Gibbs as he exited the room with a nod of acknowledgment from the Agent.

Just as Brad left the room, Gibbs saw movement on the bed and soon two tired green eyes were looking at him. "Hey boss." Tony slowly whispered.

"How you feeling DiNozzo?"

"Been…better." Tony fought to stay awake.

"I'm going to take Officer Erickson home, then I'll be right back."

"Who?"

"The man that saved your life." Gibbs watched Tony's face changed from a wrinkled confusion to a smooth confirmation.

It wasn't long until Brad popped his head back into the room. "Hey you're finally awake." The officer smiled as he moved closer to the bed.

"Thanks, to you, I guess." Tony barely said. The man did not look familiar at all and for some reason it was unsettling. Though everyone, even the doctors freak him out; he believed it was because he did not know what his attacker looked like. But the officer's voice was like a comfort from the back of his mind and the fact that he held the same white coffee cup that his boss had, Tony felt that uneasiness fade away.

"Well I don't want to keep you up. You need all the rest you can get."

"I'll be back as soon as I can." Gibbs assured his agent as the two men moved towards the door. It broke Gibbs' heart when he saw the pleading look in those green eyes asking him to stay, but he continued out the door any how.

[Phoomph]

Ziva put the phone back in the receiver as she just got off the phone with Gibbs. McGee looked up her questionably as Ziva stood up grabbing her gun and backpack. When they had came back from a quick breakfast they were not surprised to find Gibbs gone, thinking that he went for another coffee run.

"Gibbs wants me to take pictures of Tony's injuries and get the medical statement." She walked around her desk towards the elevator, but stopped just shy of the divider. "You might want to have something when Gibbs gets back. He doesn't sound happy."

"Right." McGee said to himself as Ziva continued to the elevator. "And there is no Tony to take the heat." The agent looked at the computer monitor in front of him and took a deep breath at the grainy picture. "I'm screwed."

Ziva felt very uncomfortable as she walked down the hospital hall. She did not know how her partner would look for one, but also if he was awake as she took the pictures, Ziva shook her head. That shouldn't bother her; there hasn't been any awkwardness between them so this shouldn't be a problem. However when she turned into the room, her heart stopped at the sight of Tony asleep in the bed. There was a nurse standing by the bed waiting for Ziva to make it farther into the room before speaking softly.

"Here is a copy of his medical statement." The nurse handed a blue folder to Ziva.

"Thank you. Can you remove the brace so I may take pictures for the record?" The Mossad Officer asked as she took the folder.

"Sure." As the nurse carefully took off the brace, Ziva turned around and placed her backpack on the plastic chair. She pulled out her camera and placed the folder in the bag. When she turned around she froze at the site of Tony's neck, she felt her eyes burn.

It felt forever, before her brain sent the command to her eyes to look away. But they just tore away from the flesh and moved to the camera. She would quickly focus the camera then shut her eyes as she took the picture. But that didn't stop each image to save itself in her brain then the memory card in the NCIS issued camera. She fought back tears, trying to tell herself that this wasn't her partner Tony DiNozzo, but some John Doe, just another sailor to another case. But each time she looked up from the neck to the sleeping face, she would feel the hot sting of tears threatening to flow. She had never seen Tony in a Hospital bed, not hooked up to all the machines or his face almost as pale as the fog outside.

After a dozen or so pictures, Ziva noticed that his eye lids started to slowly flutter. She turned off the camera and moved back to the chair. "You can put it back on now." She told the nurse, pointing to the neck brace.

As the nurse went over to tend to Tony, Ziva went back to packing up her backpack, trying to do so in a quick manner, not trusting herself to be around Tony if he should wake up. However as she flung the dark bag onto her shoulder, those fluttering eye lids finally opened and locked onto her. She cursed at herself; she should have told the nurse to wait until she left before putting the neck brace back on. Though when she looked at his face those images that she swore would never be deleted from her memory, faded away when a smile appeared on his pale face.

He slowly lifted his hand a foot off the sheeted bed and wiggled his finger back and forth as a wave. She couldn't help but smile back. "Hi Tony."

He opened his mouth to speak, no doubt to say some humorous remark on her visiting him, or more like a sexual comment like playing nurse. But when nothing came out and his face fell with frustration, it just confirmed her thoughts.

"Gibbs told me to come by and take some pictures for the record." She bluntly stated and couldn't believe that she said that to him when his eyes averted to the floor and a frown formed on his lips. She should have lied to him saying that she stopped by just to see how he was, give home some company. Even though he would know it was a lie, it would make him feel better. But no, she had to be calluses.

"I need to get going, Gibbs wants these pictures right away. I will try and stop by later if I can." His hand lifted again, but this time it rose just a few inches and his fingers were closed together and unmoving. She just left the room without another word. As she made her way to her car, the warm smile from Tony that she tried to hang onto disappeared and the images of his injuries came back to her mind and a tear fell down her face as she started the car.


	8. Chapter 8

[Phoomph-Eight]

The main floor of the NCIS building was covered with high tension and emotion just as thick as the fog outside. There was a buzz though out all the employees about the attack on Special Agent DiNozzo. People stayed clear from the squad room and the agents that occupied it. The smell of strong coffee seemed to fill the entire floor and the loud taps of fingers flying across a keyboard was the background music for all the other agents. There was a loud ding from the main elevator followed by the soft scrap of the metal doors opening.

Officer Ziva David emerged from elevator and made her way to her desk. She placed her backpack on top of her clean desk while unzipping it in the process. The usually soft zip was amplifier by the quite, and caused a pair of crystal blue eyes to stare at her.

"What took you so long Officer David?" Agent Gibbs bellowed to the Israeli. McGee's fingers stopped momentarily to look up at the returning agent before going back to his computer.

"People drive ten miles under the limit in the fog." She explained with frustration as she pulled out the camera.

Gibbs stood up from his desk and walked over to the plasma screen between McGee and DiNozzo's desk. "Pull up the pictures."

Ziva placed the camera's memory card into her computer and waited a brief moment as they downloaded to her hard drive before hitting a few keys. She grabbed the clicker and walked over to Gibbs. The first few pictures were of the crime scene, but after a few clicks the screen was filled with a deep red line that perfectly went around a neck just below the Adams apple. The typing of the keys suddenly came to a halt as McGee stared opened mouthed at the image. His chair squeaked he stood up and moved in front of the screen with the others. Other agents around the room stopped what they were doing and looked from afar at the plasma.

As Ziva clicked from picture to picture the whole floor was silent. Ziva looked down at Tony's desk unable to look at the images again; she didn't want the ones in her mind to enhance with more detail. McGee was frozen with shock and paled slightly at the sight his brain unable to compute with the knowledge that this was indeed real. Gibbs on the other hand, turned red with anger at the bastard who did this to his agent. But beneath that Gibbs was just like McGee. Each picture gave more detail on the injury and each one was a painful reminder that he almost died. There was a thick ligature mark of the cord; it was a horizontal dark red line that wrapped around Tony's neck just below his Adam's apple. Just above the ligature mark there were impressions that looked like commas and semi-circles of fingernails trying to get under the cord along with scratches in every direction.

Agent Gibbs turned away from the plasma when the last picture appeared. It was a full body shot of his senior field agent. "McGee tell me you have ID this dirt bag. McGee!"

The special agent snapped his head to the side, tearing his eyes from the image to face his boss. "Um...the resolution of the video went as high as it could. These web cameras aren't meant to zoom in for facial details. I checked any surrounding traffic cams and non are pointed at Tony."

"So you're telling me no?" Gibbs moved closer to the younger man, he was pissed and McGee was the unlucky person to be the first to get caught in his path. He seemed to momentarily lose his voice from the icy glare and he just shook his head and mouthed no. "Did you find anything when you went back farther in the night?"

"Um, um, I have not found anything yet. There is a big time frame, and a lot of people...and--"

"Did you bother asking Abby when her friends' band was playing?" When he didn't get a quick answer from McGee he turned around and headed back to his desk.

McGee scrambled towards the back elevator without any other instruction. When Gibbs was seated in his chair, he turned to Ziva who was still next to Tony's desk. "Officer David, tell me that you got something."

Ziva turned around and looked at Gibbs for a moment before headed to her desk to grab a blue folder. "Here is Tony's medical statement." She handed Gibbs one of the blue folder, then opened the other one and began reading it. "Brad Erickson, twenty seven years old, he has been with DC Police for five years and is a third generation law officer. Never been arrested or has anything on his record that is questionable."

"A stand up guy." Gibbs commented.

"Who is he; I thought there weren't any hot leads?"

"He was the Officer that found DiNozzo." The desk phone that was on Agent Gibbs desk started to ring the in-house tone. He picked it up and right when the phone left the receiver loud bass music filled the speaker letting him know who it was.

"They got something!" Gibbs threw the phone back into it's holder after it spent ten seconds agents his ear. He stood up and moved towards the back elevator not waiting for the Israeli, who threw the file back on her desk and quickly catch up with Gibbs.

As they hurried off to Abby's lab, Director Vance silently watched from above. Although he was unable to see the image straight from the plasma screen, he knew the details from the retractions from the three agents, and how it caused the whole floor to stand still. Even though he didn't really care for Agent DiNozzo, and vies-versa, he wished Gibbs would find that man and bring him to justice because no one hurts one of his agents under his watch and gets away with it.

"What do you got?" Gibbs thunderous voice boomed over the loud music in Abby's lab as Ziva and himself barged into the lab.

Abby grabbed her stereo's remote control and turned down the music before answering. "We think we found the guy." Abby said joyfully.

"What do you mean, you think?" Gibbs said with great edge to his voice as he was close to explode with rage.

"There is no clear shot of his face, but from the web cam feed of the attack the built, height and the hair looks about the same." McGee informed the team as he pulled up the video on the plasma.

"From all the street cameras that we could get, he is watching Tony every second." Abby added.

"And not one camera got a shot of his face?" Ziva said with skepticism that his man knew to avoid traffic cameras.

"Not one." The forensic scientist said.

"Any thing on his DNA or finger prints?" The former Marine demanded.

"He's not in the system." McGee answered as he tensed up for the explosion.

"Get the tapes of every News Station that was there and you find me his. And get me a damn name!" Gibbs shouted as he left the lab.

"I will get you the list of all the stations." Ziva said as she turned to leave, but she barely made it to the door when she was stopped.

"Ziva," Abby called out. "How was Tony?"

Ziva locked eyes with McGee for a brief second before answering. "He's fine Abby. He will be back soon and milking it as long as he can." She forced a smile before heading out the door. However, Ziva's answer did nothing for Abby and she turned and faced McGee with a look in her eyes that demanded answers.

"Abby Tony's fine. You saw him." McGee tried to reassure.

"Then what was that look you too shared?"

"It was nothing--"

"You're lying McGee." Abby put on her best Gibbs stare, she demanded answers and wasn't planning on settling.

McGee let out a breath of defect when he couldn't take her look anymore. "The pictures Ziva took of Tony's injuries--"

"I want to see them."

"No you don't. I wish I didn't see them."

"That bad?" Abby's voice fell.

"But he's fine Abs, Gibbs would have told you if it wasn't. Come on, we need to ID this guy." Abby nodded her head as she turned her music back up. But in her mind she was going to see those pictures herself.

[Phoomph]

The doors to autopsy slid open when the sensors were set off. Ducky, who was seated at his desk, turned his heat at the sound of the doors.

"Ah, Jethro what I can I help you with?" The old M.E. smiled at his visitor.

"Tony's medical statement and pictures." Gibbs cut to the quick as he handed him the folder.

Ducky opened the folder and was greeted with a close up picture Tony's neck. "Oh my."

"I want to know how close we came from losing him."

"Well just from these photo's here, I'd say very close, but you already knew that. So real the question is why did you come down?" Ducky studied the other man who was pacing in thought, and even though Gibbs did not say a word he knew what he wasn't saying. "He's going to fight."

Gibbs let out a deep sigh, as his brow wrinkled with frustration and Ducky knew he hit the nail on the head. "Eight years and he still doesn't get it." The agent almost growled.

"It's just the way he was brought up." Ducky almost smiled. Every time the young lad was injured they went though the same talk. Though sometimes the M.E. couldn't help but think of Jethro instead of the young agent during these talks, they were so much alike. "Some things take years to fix."

"He's not going to have many more if he keeps this up."

[Phoomph]

It was past lunch when Brad headed over to the station to being paper work on the attack. He moved over to his desk that was located in the center of the main building. The place was empty, compared to the day before; a lot of officers always took the day after the festival off just to rest. So most of the young officers were the ones holding the fort, and being his day off he wasn't surprised when most of the uniforms gave him questioning looks. He booted up his computer and shifted though the mounds of paper on his desk waiting for the ridiculously slow computer to warm up. His was opening up a file and started to type the basic information when the Officer that assisted him last night came up to his desk.

"Hey Brad, how is that Fed doing?" Brad looked up to see Steve Thomas, he was one out of two people on the force that called him by the first name, and he to them.

"He is one lucky son of a bitch, I can tell you that." He said as he turned is attention back to his computer.

"Hey where were you this morning? Captain wanted to talk to you."

"I was at the hospital until his boss got back."

Steve tiled his head, looking at Brad with a questioning side glance. "Why, it's not our case?"

"I know but I offered to--"

"Erickson! My office now!" An older overweight man dressed in an un-tasteful suit yelled from an office across the room.

Brad stood up with a sigh and spoke low to Steve with annoyance. "Why dose he sounds pissed? What could I possibly have done to have him act this why?"

Steve just laughed as he slapped him on the shoulder as Brad walked to the office. "You should have taken some of that Fed's luck."

Three hours later there was a buzz going around the office, Brad was so focused on his paper work that he cared less on what was going around. He got a headache from the twenty minute dress down from his boss about calling in the Navy Cops about the attack. The fact that the victim was an NCIS agent didn't seem to faze the fat man. So there was nothing more than Brad wanted to do then to get the paper work finished so he could go home. But he knew that wasn't going to happen when Steve came up to him.

"Thought you might be interesting in this, a man was murdered in an alley right behind a 7-11 in downtown."

Brad pushed away from his desk and swiveled his chair to the side, facing the other officer, who sat down at the corner of the desk pushing some papers near the edge. "Why would that interest me, I'm no homicide detective." He said as he crossed his arms.

"Well seeing how this man was found strangled to death with a cord a good twelve hours after that Fed was attacked. I thought you would be some what interested."

Brad's arms fell down to his lap and he leaned closer to Steve. "When did this just happen?"

"Detective Camacho just left with his gang."

Brad swung back to his desk, picking up the receiver in the motion. He pulled out a business card from his pocked and started to dial the number. "What's the address?"

"Its behind the 7-11 on 17th Street Northwest." Steve answered with a bit of confusion, like Brad told him he wasn't a detective so he didn't understand why all of a sudden he was so worried about it.

Brad however did not notice the man's puzzlement for he was already talking on the phone. "Special Agent Gibbs? This is Brad; we have a case here that might be related. No, but a man strangled to death in an ally behind the 7-11 on 17th Street Northwest. Yes crime scene is intact the team just left. No problem." Brad put the phone back in its cradle and glanced up at Steve who had a confused look.

"You know the Captain is not going to like it when those Feds take over the case again. He's going to tear you a new one when he finds out that you tipped them off, again."

"Only if you tell him."

[Phoomph]

"Gear up." Gibbs tore though the squad room with a direct course to his desk. He opened a drawer and pulled out his gun putting it on his right side. McGee and Ziva stood up from their desks and followed Gibbs lead. The two agents grabbed their backpacks and raced to meet Gibbs by the elevator.

"Did Abby get an ID on the guy?" McGee asked as they stepped into the opening elevator.

"A man was strangled to death; Metro thinks it was done by our guy." Gibbs replied as the doors slid shuts.

When the NCIS team arrived at the crime scene, there were police and news vans scattered across the ally way behind the 7-Eleven. Gibbs was the first one to get out of the van and went straight to the person in charge, while McGee and Ziva slowly trailed behind. However one look at the zoo, the two agents stopped just shy of the police tape.

"I do not think the police is going to hand over this case nicely?" Ziva pointed out given the facial expressions of their boss and the detective arguing with him.

"I think you're right. But didn't Gibbs say that metro thought they were related?"

"It was Officer Brad who called it in," Ducky chimed in from behind. The two agents turned around to see the ME and his assistant Jimmy Palmer walking towards them. "These officers here mostly don't know about Anthony or the relations."

"Officer Brad? I didn't know Gibbs had a contact in Metro's PD?" McGee said being pretty confused.

"No my dear boy," Ducky smiled. "He is the officer that saved Tony."

"Gibbs had me do a background check on him. He's sneaky clean."

"Squeaky." McGee corrected the Mossad Officer. Even though no one showed it or said it, they all knew how weird it sounded for a correction to come from someone not Tony.

The team waited quietly by the yellow tape waiting for Gibbs to give the all clear. They were surprised on how low key their boss was handling the turf war, this could help them find Tony's attacker and he wouldn't hold back just because there was news cameras. However a few minutes later, the detective backed away from Gibbs and shouting that NCIS was now in charged. Gibbs turned to his team and let out a high pitched whistle signaling the green light. McGee lifted up the yellow police tape and allowed the other three to across under before he went. As they got closer to the body everyone had the silent relation on how close Tony was from being this dead victim.

"Ziva shoot and sketch, McGee see if that 7-Eleven had any outside cameras and get copies of it any from inside and talk to witness who found the body. Duck time of death?"

The medical examiner was silent for a moment as he looked over the body. White flashes from the camera illuminated the body as Ziva took pictures. Ducky moved to the neck of the victim and studied the blood around it for a moment.

"See how this blood is dry on the outside," Gibbs bent down on the opposite side of the body and looked closely at where the ME was pointing to. "But if it is punctured," Ducky pushed on a bubble of blood with his gloved covered finger and small about of blood seeped out.

"Hasn't been dead for longer than an hour and a half." Gibbs finished as he wrote down the information on his pad of paper.

"It looks like the murder weapon is this plastic strap," Ducky said as he removed the strap from around the victims neck "that might be from that container of cardboard boxes." The two agents looked over to the back door of the 7-Eleven and noticed an overflowed bin of cardboard boxes with plastic straps sticking up all over.

"That would cut into the attacker's hands, yes?" Ziva threw in noticing the sharp thin sides of the plastic as she placed it in an evidence bag.

"If he was barehanded, he mostly would have." Ducky supported Ziva's observation "Of course I won't confirm cause of death until I get this poor lad on my table."

"You always do, Duck." Gibbs stood up letting Ducky and Palmer get the body ready for transfer. As he got up he turned a little bit to the left and saw McGee appear back on the ally walking towards the crime scene.

"The witness works at the 7-Eleven. He was taking some boxes to the trash using that back entrance," McGee pointed to a door next to the stack of boxes and trash. "That is when he saw the body, which was about one twenty. He also remember seeing the man in the store with a woman."

"Get back to the office and see of you can get an ID on that woman. Ziva I want all the information on our victim." Gibbs ordered as he walked away from the group.

"Where are you going?" Ziva called out to her boss. However the sound of a car door shutting and an engine starting was the only answer she was going to get.


	9. Chapter 9

[Phoomph-Nine]

It was almost surprising how different a hospital could change in only a few hours. The pale, white and brown halls of the ICU wing seemed to be brighter as the sun was finally able to burn off the fog and shine though the many windows. There was more chatter of nurse as there were more scrubs everywhere he looked. Some gave him a warm smile while other seemed to talk knowing by his demeanor who he was visiting. Now doubt this one was the most existing case last night. Half way down the second floor hallway, Gibbs turned into one of the rooms, he hear the sound of a television and was glad to know his agent was awake. Right when he moved passed the curtain, green eyes locked onto him and a smile appeared on the face.

"Hey boss." A broken whisper came from his agent lying in the small hospital bed.

"How are you feeling DiNozzo?" Gibbs noticed that Tony muted the TV and took as big as a breath as he could before answering.

"Good considering. Any leads?"

Gibbs studied the young man; he couldn't help but see the graphic images that Ziva took instead of the man in front of him. "Got a few."

"When can I, get out, of here?" Tony said with a pause between every other couple of words.

"In a few days at least, and when one of us can take care of you." Gibbs added when he saw Tony's face start to protest and he prepared for the fight that the young agent was going to start. And sure enough Tony's face fell with annoyances.

"I can, take care, of myself."

"You can barely talk and you can't use your left arm. So how can you take care of yourself?" Gibbs pointed out strongly. "We almost lost you DiNozzo." Gibbs was surprised when his last sentence seemed to not even put a pause in Tony's protest.

"I'm always, close to death. Never had, problems taking, care of my--"

"Damn it DiNozzo!" Gibbs yelled getting fed up with the agent's thick head. "That's the point. The reason you always end up in this bed is because you never accept the help. You should have called me and this would never have happened."

Just then Gibbs' cell phone went off saving Tony from responding. However the interruption pissed Gibbs off as he reached into his pocket to get his phone. But he never eased up on his stare with Tony who tried to look anywhere but his boss' blue eyes. "Gibbs."

"Abby ID the woman that was with our victim," McGee started to report. "She said that it was the same woman that was with Tony at the festival. Her name is Danica Millious and she works at Bank of America on I Street Northwest."

"Anything on the dead man?" Tony's eyes snapped up from a spot on his bed to Gibbs, when he heard this new information. Gibbs almost smiled he could read the total confusion on DiNozzo's face and the question that asked 'what dead man." But Gibbs gave him no hint as he listened to McGee.

"His name is Alan Kaur, thirty seven years old and works as a teller at the same bank."

"Have Ziva meet me there." Gibbs closed his phone and put it in his pocket in one motion. He looked at the agent, wondering if he should inform his senior field agent that most likely the man that attacked him killed a man in the same way. Maybe that would shock Tony into submission. But he noticed that Tony's eyes were getting heavy and even though he wanted to finish their conversation, he thought it best to wait for another time.

Gibbs let out a breath as he turned towards the door. "Get some rest Tony." The former marine called over his shoulder as he pushed passed the light pink curtain.

[Phoomph]

Gibbs stood by the front entrance of Bank of America waiting for Ziva. However with her driving almost matching his, he did not have to wait more than five minutes. His sliver haired head turned to the right as he caught a glimpse of a dark haired woman turning the corner. He pushed himself off the wall with his back and moved towards the door waiting for Ziva there. When she got within a few feet he opened the tinted glass door and let her in first.

"We'll talk to the manger first, then to Miss. Millious." Gibbs informed the Mossad Officer. She did not respond, but merely followed the Senior Agent to the neatest investor's desk.

"Good afternoon, how can I help you?" A middle aged Hispanic woman asked when she saw the two come up to her.

Gibbs pulled out his badge and flashed it to the woman. "My name is Special Agent Gibbs with NCIS; I need to speak with your manger."

"I will get him right away." The woman stood up from the desk and moved quickly to an office that was located in the very back corner of the grand lobby. The woman stuck her head into the office to inform her supervisor of their guests. It only took a few words to get the manger up and moving. The manger was a tall thin man and wore a clean suite and a serious yet inviting expression. Gibbs and Ziva moved forward to meet the manger half way.

"Hello my name is Marc Walker, please come to my office so we can have some more privacy." The man shook hands with both agents before leading them to his office. "Please have a seat." Marc motioned to the two leather chairs in front of a dark oak desk, as he took a seat in his own chair. "How can I help NCIS?"

"How well do you know Alan Kaur?" Gibbs asked as he took out his notepad and pen.

"Alan is a good friend and one of the best employees here. What has he done that would interest a Navy Investigator?"

"He was found dead this afternoon and we suspect it was done by the same person that attack one of our own." Gibbs watched the manger's expression changed with grief for the loss of a friend, and then a sincere understanding for the situation.

"I sorry to hear about your agent. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"We would like to talk with Danica Millious."

"Sure you can use my office for privacy. But may I ask, do you think she had a hand in this? Because the both of them were good friends, they always had lunch together."

"She was last seen with him and we just need to ask a few questions." Ziva spoke up.

"I'll go get her." Marc got up from his chair and headed out the door.

Ziva waited for the door to shut before she turned to Gibbs. "Do you believe that she had anything to do with it? If they always go to lunch why did they drive separately?"

"He must have taken the rest of the day off or else they would have noticed him missing." Just then the office door opened and Danica walked in, Gibbs stood up and greeted the young lady and he could see why Tony was attracted to her.

"I am special agent Gibbs." He shook hand with her noticing right away that she was nervous. "This is Officer David. Have a seat." He motioned to the chair that he just occupied.

"What can I do for you?" She asked with a bit of hesitation.

"Where were you this afternoon?" Gibbs started the questioning

"I was having lunch with my friend and colleague Alan at a little diner off of 21st Street Northwest ."

"Did you take separate cars?" Ziva asked.

"Yes."

"Why?"

Danica's eyes moved back and forth from cold brown to piecing blue eyes "Um, because he had a doctors appointment at 1:30. So I met him there, we had lunch then I came back."

"Why did you two stop at 7-Eleven together?" Gibbs stood quietly watching Ziva handle the questioning. Danica was nervous but it was more from the fact that the Mossad agent next to her was staring at her rather from the nature of the questions.

"He wanted to get a lotto ticket and I wanted to get an energy drink."

"What time did you arrive back here?"

"A few minutes after one."

It grew quite as Ziva wrote down her answer. "May I ask why are you asking me these questions?"

Ziva looked up and gave a side glance to Gibbs. A quick nod, she turned back and answered. "He was found dead behind the 7-Eleven this afternoon."

Danica's hands went shooting up to her face, covering up her mouth as she let out a gasp. Tears filled her eyes and her breaths became ragged. "How-how did he die?"

"He was strangled." The two agents gave the bank teller a moment; both knew that the news of Alan's murder was a surprise. But Gibbs gut still turned, she was a key to the two attacks and he was going to find out why.

"How well do you know Tony DiNozzo?" Gibbs spoke up. Danica looked up at the sliver haired man with a blank look on her mascara streaked face. It took her a moment before it came to her.

"Tony? We met last night at the street festival, why?"

"He was attacked as he was heading to his car last night." Gibbs moved closer to Danica as if moving in for the kill.

"Oh my gosh." The tears threaded to flow again. "Is he dead too?" She was on the verge of hysterics.

"No, but he came close. Now that's two men in less than twenty four hours who have been strangled moments after being with you."

"Are you saying I had something to do with it?"

"You tell me."

"Agent Gibbs, Alan was my best friend I've known him for years. Why would I kill him? And Tony, I liked him a lot I invited him home with but he said he had to work. So we parted with plans to get together this weekend."

"So it was just coincidence that these two men got attacked the same way."

"Yes." Danica said strongly.

The ringer from Gibbs cell phone went off, and the man cursed at the damn thing for always going off at the wrong time. "What?" Gibbs snapped at the caller.

"Um, Director Vance wants to see you right away." McGee informed.

"I'm busy."

"He has the captain of the police department in his office waiting for you." McGee quickly added knowing Gibbs would hang up any second.

"I'm on my way." Pocketing the cell phone, Gibbs moved towards the door, the two other women stood up, but only Ziva moved towards Gibbs.

"Miss Millious, we will contact you if we have any more questions." Gibbs opened the door and allowed Ziva to walk out first.

"I understand." Danica said as she stayed in the office.

Gibbs and Ziva turned and left the bank with out any other word. Right when they walked out the doors, they were hit with a gust of cool wind. Gibbs zipped up his jacket all the way up and flipped the collar up. Ziva buttoned up her jacket and turned to Gibbs.

"Do you still think she had something to do with it?"

"No. But she is a link between the two. Find out how." Gibbs ordered as he turned and left Ziva standing by the entrance of Bank of America.

[Phoomph]

Gibbs walked towards the Director's door with a fresh cup of coffee. Cynthia did not look up from her desk or say a word when the smell of black coffee whisked past her. She smiled as she heard the door fling open, then almost slam shut.

"Agent Gibbs," Director Vance started when the senior agent walked through the doors. "This is Jack Crawford, Captain of Metro P.D. He informs me that you took on a murder of a civilian with no military connects."

A smug smile appeared on the agents face, "I did."

"Can you explain to me then why you took over this case?"

"Did you bother to ask that question to the officer that was at the crime scene?" Gibbs turned to the over weight officer.

"What? Of course."

"Then what are you doing here?"

"To take back our case!" The officer started to get on a high horse, but before he could mount the horse, Gibbs shot him down.

"Not going to happen."

The captain started to move closer to Gibbs, "Now just wait a damn-"

"Director Vance," Gibbs turned and faced the NCIS director leaving the Police Captain to stare at the back of his sliver gray head. "There is a connection between Alan Kaur's murder and the attack on Agent DiNozzo."

"Are you sure?" Vance asked, but only got a stare of determination from the lead agent. "Captain Crawford, NCIS will be handing the investigation of the murder of Alan Kaur in connection with the attack on one of my agents. Now I can send you--" Gibbs walked out of the office not bothering to stick around any longer and have to deal with anymore professional courtesy crap.

McGee and Ziva watched silently as their boss made his way down the stairs. Ziva noticed a limp with his right leg as he took each step. McGee had seen that look of frustration every time he left the director's office. Yet both noticed the tired blue eyes. Not from the lack of sleep that they all missed, but from the fact that they still haven't been able to find out who had done this. They all felt it, they long forgot sleep because who gives a damn, when one of their own almost died causing the first few hours to feel like days. Both agents waited quietly on what their boss was going to do next. Ziva quietly betted on a coffee run, while McGee figured he would go down to see Abby or Ducky. But he did neither as he went to his desk. Gibbs felt the two sets of eyes follow his every move. He was tired and at the point where no amount of coffee would fix it, and he also saw it in the eyes of his remanding two agents.

"Find anything Officer David?" Gibbs calmly asked as he slowly turned his head towards the Israeli's desk.

Ziva and McGee shared a questioning glance to each other on Gibbs appeared collective attitude, before she turned to her boss and responded. "I believe I did. A year ago Danica Millious filed a restraining order on an ex-boyfriend, named Joseph Scott."

"What were the charges agents?" McGee questioned.

"Obsession, stalking, afraid of physical abuse."

"Pull up his record McGee." Gibbs ordered. However McGee started typing after the second word Gibbs had said. And just a little after the lead agent finished the command, the plasma was lit up with a record of Joseph Scott. The picture was of a middle aged white male with short red hair and a small chin gote of the same color.

"He was arrested twice for physical assault." McGee read off but didn't get far as Gibbs cut him off with more commands.

"Ziva go back and question Miss. Millious about Scott. McGee you find me this guy. Check and see if he had emitted himself to any hospital for a gun shot wound to the leg. Put out a BOLO, I want this guy in custody by tonight." Gibbs got up from his desk with a new found energy as he headed to the back elevator.


	10. Chapter 10

[Phoomph-Ten]

Tony laid on the thin hospital bed staring up at the boring white ceiling. There was nothing on the television that was good enough to hold his interest, and if there was something good on, he would most likely fall asleep anyways. So it was just him, the white walls and his thoughts. The quite beeping of the machines was almost calming as it amplified his steady heart beat. He let his mind drift off with each beep, going back to the conversation he had with Gibbs almost two hours ago, and still he could feel the sting of his boss' accusations. He knew that Gibbs was right about the whole situation, about everything. Yet he couldn't seem to come to grips with the notion of letting others take care of him. It wasn't pride or stubbornness, it was some reason he couldn't come up with as his mind got fuzzy as pain medication that he took a few minutes ago started to kick in. He closed his eyes momentarily as he tried to focus back on this thoughts but he got interpreted when he heard the glass door slid open and the cloth curtain pushed back. Tony opened his green eyes only to see a young nurse walk towards him.

"How are you feeling Tony?" Nurse Amy asked. She was nearing the age of thirty, with soft blue eyes and a strawberry blonde hair. Out of all the people walking in and out checking up on him, Nurse Amy was his favorite. Not just because of her looks, although that was a big part of it, but she had the best bed side manner in his hospital history. There were only two other people that would rate higher than her, Doctor Brad and Nurse Emma.

Tony glanced up at her giving her a weak smile. "I'm okay."

"Good." She returned a smile. "I'm just replacing your IV bag." She informed as she held up the clear bag for him to see.

Tony just nodded and watched her stop the flow through the tube before disconnecting the bag. In a few blinks, Amy switched out the bags and started the IV flow once again. Green eyes followed the new flow of flavorless and colorless Gatorade as Amy called it, as it went though loops and curves of plastic tubing before it disappeared into his hand. Amy turned and started checking all the other machines and double checking her patient's chart to see if there were any other orders written by his doctor.

Tony was quietly watching the nurse when suddenly he let out a whimper. Nurse Amy turned around and looked down at Tony with concern. "What is it?"

"It's cold." He said pointing to his right forearm.

Amy let out a chuckle as she smiled. "It is just the IV, it feels weird doesn't it?"

"Yeah." He rubbed his left hand over his forearm in a vain hope to warm up his arm.

"Well everything is looking fine. Do you need any thing?"

"My own bed, and some, real food." Tony managed to say with an almost smile.

Nurse Amy let out a small laughed as she turned to leave, but just stopped shy of the door. "Maybe in a day or two."

Tony pushed his head deeper into the pillow with a sigh as Amy shut the curtain and door behind her as she left. "Great."

[Phoomph]

Gibbs walked into the lab and instantly knew something was wrong. The only sound in the lab was the quite hum of computers. He walked farther into the lab, the glass door slid open, the sound was unmorally loud in the quite. Gibbs found the forensic scientist at her desk with her head in her hands.

"Abby?" Gibbs asked with concern as he moved around the desk.

Abby did not look up or said a word, just let out a sniffle. But when Gibbs got behind her, he found out on his own. There on her computer monitor was the picture that Ziva took, a close up of the face and neck of Tony. Gibbs instantly pushed the power button of the monitor, the screen instantly turned black.

He knelt down ignoring the pain in his knee as he pulled her close to him. "He is fine Abs."

"We almost lost him." She cried. "We almost lost him Gibbs."

"But we didn't." He reassured her.

However it didn't seem to faze her. "I should have stayed with him that night. I should have never-"

Gibbs' voice turned stern, but still soft. "This is not your fault. There was nothing any one of us could have done."

"I know." Abby buried her face in the marine's shoulder.

His blue eyes moved slowly back to the black screen, but his mind still saw the image. "Abby, why did you look at the pictures?" His voice fell soft again.

Another sniffle escaped. "I had to know Gibbs." Abby looked up at him, her mascara streaking down her cheeks. "I needed to see it for myself."

"It's okay." Gibbs soothed as he rubbed small circles on her back. There was a brief moment of silence before he spoke up again. "We might have found this guy."

Abby jerked out of Gibbs' arms and shot up of out of her chair. Her face changing from crying to pissed off. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?" She demanded. "And what do you mean 'might'?"

"That's what I need you to find out." Gibbs informed as he slowly stood up. "McGee should have sent you the info on this guy." Abby moved over to her main computer, hitting the stereo's power button on the way filling the lab with its normal loud base music. Lucky for Gibbs, he was able to hear his phone ringing just seconds before the music was turned on.

"What?" Gibbs spoke into his phone, as he watched Abby did a bunch of computer do-da stuff.

"Ms. Millious says that Joseph Scott was very possessive of her." Ziva spoke up loud so Gibbs could hear her over the music. "He never let her talk and be around other men and was pretty much obsessed with her. That is why she had put the restraining order on him after she broke up with him. She also told me that she had to call the cops on him more than once throughout the year."

"He's our man. Ziva bring Ms. Millious in." Gibbs heard Ziva start to question him before he hung up. He turned to Abby and ordered, "Find me this man." He motioned to the plasma as he gave her a quick peck on the cheek, then headed out to the elevator as he started punching in a number in his phone.

[Phoomph]

Brad threw on his jacket as he watched his computer slowly shut down. He was finally going home and hopefully get a much needed night's sleep. Just as his computer went dead, he turned around and took two steps before his desk phone starting ringing. He let his head drop and sighed maybe he wasn't going to get out of here. He moved back to his desk and grabbed his phone.

"Officer Erickson." He answered a bit roughly.

"Do you want to help us catch this bastard?" Brad recognized the voice of Agent Gibbs and a smile formed on his lips, the need for sleep rapidly escaping from his thoughts.

"What do you want me to do?"

"Get to NCIS headquarters now." Gibbs disconnected the call just as brad started to put the phone back into the receiver as he practically flew out of the building not noticing the confused looks of other officers on the night shift.

[Simi-Phoomph]

McGee looked up from his desk as Gibbs rounded the corner; he heard the end of the conversation and was slightly curious. "What's going on Boss?"

Gibbs looked down at the junior agent with a smile that made McGee shift in his chair. "I'm tired of waiting; it's time to get proactive."


	11. Chapter 11

[Phoomph-Eleven]

It was a cool evening night, there was evidence of a light rain fall. Beads of water covered the sleek surfaces of parked cars down the main shopping block of Downtown D.C.; Neon lights of store and restaurant signs reflected off those dew covered cars. The air had the fresh crispness that only seemed to happen after the cleansing wash of rain.

One couple walked out of a restaurant hand in hand. They walked slowly down the street stopping every other store window looking and talking about the items that caught their eyes. They did this for three blocks enjoying the beautiful world around them. After the third block they turned into to a small parking lot. The man walked his date to her car, they said good-bye and shared a kiss before she got into her car and drove away. The man headed to his car which was parked in the dark corner of the lot.

He reached into his pocket and fished for his keys. Right when he was about to unlock his car door, a big diesel truck drove past the lot. The loud engine and the sound of tires splashing up the puddles of dead rain caused the man to turn around. But as he did, some movement from behind an SUV next to him caught his eye. Just before he had time to react, a man with wild red hair lunged towards him letting out a crazed scream. However before the figure could attack, three people appeared out the shadows with guns pointed at he red haired man.

"Freeze! NCIS!" The oldest man of the group shouted.

The man's wide green eyes darted back and forth between the three people with guns. He looked back at the man he was going to attack only to see the end of a barrel pointed right between his eyes.

"Joseph Scott, get on the ground slowly and put your hands behind your head!" Another man demeaned behind him.

"Do it now!" This time a woman with a strong accent shouted.

Joseph looked frantically around him, at the people holding the guns. Then what seemed like ages, he slowly lowered to the damp asphalt, locking his finger behind his head. The woman holstered her gun and pulled out her handcuffs as she moved closer to Scott. As she was cuffing him and reading him his rights, herself and the other NCIS agent pulled the man to his feet and lead him to their car.

"I'm glad that's over." Brad said to Gibbs who walked over to him, both men holstering their guns.

"Thanks for your help."

"No problem. But I have to say, that was pretty terrifying." Gibbs threw him a question look. "You know, the whole walking around with the knowledge that I would likely get attacked by a psycho part." Brad leaned up agents his car, ignoring the fact his clothes were soaking up the beads of water.

Gibbs studied the young police officer for a moment. "You did good."

Brad let out a laugh with fading adrenaline. "Yeah well, I'll just stick with the slow uneventful night patrol in my safe squad car if its all the same to you." Brad said with a sure grin.

A smile appeared on Gibbs face as he turned around and headed back into the shadows.

[Phoomph]

The team was never more relived to close a case than this one. Joseph Scott confessed to everything, the attack on DiNozzo and the murder of Alan Kurr, seeing nothing wrong in what he did. He was then taken to the hospital to treat the infected gun shot wound in his left leg. Even though they had a confession, Abby matched his DNA to what was under Tony's fingernails and the plastic strap that killed Kurr and matched the bullet that was still in his legs to the NCIS agent's gun. Both Brad and Danica stopped by NCIS headquarters that night to give their report and make sure that everything was finished. Then they gave their good-byes and gratitude for putting this crazed man behind bars.

The next afternoon, Tony's hospital room was filled with is fellow team member. Abby was seated at the foot of his bed; Ducky was occupying the plastic chair while McGee was propped on the Doctor's stool. Ziva was leaned up agents the window's ledge as Gibbs stood by the door, getting to watch all the people in the room. Laughter and stories filled up the small hospital room which put a smile on the lead agent's face. Scott was in custody, Tony was fine and was going to be discharged in two days, and last night he had a good night's sleep for the first time in three days.

A few hours later, everyone started to leave. Ducky was first, then McGee and Abby. Before Ziva left, she leaned in and gave Tony a small hug speaking softly to him.

"I'm sorry Tony about the other day."

"It's already, forgotten." Tony gave her a reassuring smile as she left, leaving just Gibbs.

There was a blanket of silence between the two men. Gibbs studied his senior field agent's features. He had color back in his face and the only thing that was hooked up to him was the IV.

"I want to see him." Tony suddenly spoke up.

"Who?" Gibbs was a bit thrown of by the comment.

"Scott, I want to see him."

Gibbs moved closer to the bed. "Why?"

Tony sighed, Gibbs could tell that whatever Tony was about to say, the young man felt embarrassed. "Because even though I know he is in custody and all," he paused for a breath. "I'm still slightly terrified, of men I don't know, because I don't know the face of the guy that attacked me." Tony finished weakly. Even though he was able to speak longer without a breath after every three words, it still drained him of energy.

"Why does it have to be face to face?" Gibbs watched as green eyes hide behind their lids as Tony seemed to sink deeper into the bed.

"I don't know boss."

"Get some rest DiNozzo." Gibbs placed a hand on his good shoulder. "I'll see what I can do." He gave it a slight squeeze before he left the hospital room with his agent already drifting off to sleep.

[The End]


End file.
